Submit the following: Chapter 2 of the dissertation See attachments.
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Motivational Strategies for Young Restaurant Employees
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CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY
Background of the Study
The hospitality business is becoming increasingly reliant on Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), which collectively represent a significant portion of the industry’s workforce. These younger generations have unique values in the type of work they seek including work-life balance and personal growth, as well as meaningful work that differs from what previous generations sought. This presents challenges for managers who must motivate them (Pew Research Center, 2019). High attrition rates and disengagement among these workers highlight the need for effective motivational strategies, particularly in an industry notorious for its job-related pressure.
Despite the existence of research on leadership styles and employee motivation, they frequently lack the specificity regarding the applicability of these concepts to Millennials and Gen Z in the context of the restaurant industry. Researchers often focus on general approaches to leadership or motivation in different industries, leaving a gap in addressing specific strategies that could be applied to this demographic. This study fills this gap by examining the strategies that the restaurant managers can use to motivate their Millennial and Gen Z employees effectively.
The researcher will utilize a qualitative multiple-case study design on four successful restaurant managers in Fort Pierce, FL. The findings with regard to their lived experiences and practical approaches will be revealed through semi-structured interviews. This methodology will provide deep insights on how to improve motivation, engagement and retention of young employees.
This research is valuable to undertake for several reasons: it addresses a pressing business problem, introduces a novel contribution to existing research, and provides practical insights for restaurant managers. By highlighting effective motivators, the paper will build upon prior research and how the industry can adjust to a changing workforce population.
Problem Statement
The problem that will be explored in this research is the challenge that restaurant managers face in motivating Millennial and Generation Z employees, which can lead to poor performance, low engagement, and high turnover rates. Recent evidence highlights this issue: The National Restaurant Association found that personnel turnover in the restaurant business is over 70% yearly, and younger employees, in particular, tend to leave due to dissatisfaction with the way businesses are managed. Research also reveals that intrinsically motivated rewards such as recognition and opportunities for career advancement, are more important to Millennials and Gen Z than conventional extrinsic rewards, such as wages, thereby making traditional motivational methods complicated.
Although considerable research has been conducted on leadership and motivation, a gap remains in understanding how these concepts apply to younger generations in the restaurant industry. The existing literature tends to review leadership styles in general terms or addresses other aspects such that current restaurant managers lack clear, evidence-based actions specific to their workforce (House, 1996). This study will close this gap in the literature by exploring specific strategies used by successful managers to motivate Generation Y and Z employees in the restaurant industry.
Purpose Statement
This qualitative multiple-case study will identify the strategies restaurant managers use to motivate their Millennial and Generation Z employees. The population consists of restaurant managers in Fort Pierce, Florida, and the sample will comprise four business leaders from varied establishments that have proven successful in their roles of leading and motivating younger employees. The study will take place in Fort Pierce, Florida, allowing for a concentrated regional focus where local insights can be gathered..
To understand the perceptions, experiences, and practices of these managers, this researcher will conduct semi-structured interviews. By using a qualitative approach, the research set out to explore subtle techniques for improving motivation, which would provide practical recommendations for managers of restaurant establishments and enrich the domain of business administration.
Research Questions
This research is based on the main research question: How do restaurant managers motivate Millennial and Generation Z employees? To provide a comprehensive answer to this question, the following questions will be explored.
1. How do restaurant managers perceive the motivational needs of Millennial and Gen Z employees?
2. What leadership practices used by managers help to meet these needs?
3. What difficulties are managers experiencing while motivating younger employees, and what do they do to resolve them?
4. How do these strategies align with Self-Determination Theory and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory?
These questions correspond to the problem and purpose statements, paying attention to the conceptual materials of practical strategies. Semi-structured interview questions will be constructed in order to obtain detailed responses from the participants and to ensure clarity between research and data collection instruments.
Advancing Theoretical Knowledge
This investigation is guided by two theories: the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory. The SDT explains that three psychological needs,; autonomy, competence and relatedness, must be met for motivation to thrive (Deci et al., 2000). This study will examine what restaurant managers do to cultivate these needs among Millennial and Gen Z employees, which may increase intrinsic motivation through autonomy supportive practice or skill building.
Determined by Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory, hygiene factors include such things as salary and job security that do not create satisfaction but prevent dissatisfaction; motivators, such as recognition and growth, increase satisfaction and motivation (Herzberg, 1968). The researcher will explore the factors that managers value and how they prioritize these to motivate younger staff effectively.
By using these theories in the restaurant industry this research will fill a gap in understanding of how SDT and Herzberg’s theory work in this context. It will develop theoretical understanding by offering empirical data on their application to Millennials and Gen Z, and increase the credibility of such models in today’s business world.
Application to Business Administration
This research would assist business practitioners, particularly restaurant managers, in finding effective strategies to motivate millennial and Z-generation employees. The results will provide practical instruments to increase engagement, performance and retention, thus solving the m issue with high turnover rates within the industry. For example, if flexible scheduling or recognition programs become significant motivators managers should introduce these measures to improve morale at work.
Apart from restaurants, the insights could also apply to other domains with similar labor forces, such as retail or hospitality. Through a combination of theory and practice, this study will empower business leaders with scientifically proven methods can help them adapt their leadership style to suit the needs of young employees and support their organizations’ bottom line.
Significance of the Study
This study is relevant because it addresses a major problem in restaurant business and its contribution towards business administration. Although existing studies discuss context in general, this one delves deeper by examining specific generations (Millennials and Gen Z) working in a particular sector and offers more practical directions that have not been explored in previous studies (Yukl, 2012). It is consistent with earlier work in combining SDT and Herzberg’s theory for a new perspective on their practical application.
The expected benefits are actionable strategies for managers, reduced turnover and employee satisfaction. The study will also enhance theoretical advancement by filling in a research gap while advancing the field’s understanding of motivation across generations.
Methodology
Qualitative research is best suited to analyzing complex phenomena such as leadership strategies, and employee motivation (Creswell et al., 2018). A qualitative approach will allow for a detailed exploration of participants’ experiences and yield rich data that through quantitative analysis. A series of semi-structured interviews will be conducted among four restaurant managers to obtain in-depth information regarding their motivational practices.
This approach is consistent with the problem, purpose, and research questions, because it allows the researcher to discover the “how” and “why” of successful leadership. The use of qualitative design permits flexibility to the process to accommodate emergent themes, while informing findings.
Research Design
The research design is a several case study, the qualitative approach which investigates a number of instances for obtaining a full understanding of the phenomenon (Yin, 2018). A good match to the study’s goals to research various strategies in four restaurant managers in Fort Pierce, FL. The population consists of experienced managers who once worked with Millennials and Gen Z, the sample contains four successful leaders from different establishments.
Data will be generated through semi-structured interviews, recorded (with permission) and transcribed. The developed interview guide, based on SDT and Herzberg’s theory, will provide validity, while the pilot testing and member checking will enhance reliability by proving that the developed instrument works and that data is accurate.
Definition of Key Terms
1. Millennials: Persons born between 1981-1996 (Pew Research Center, 2019).
2. Generation Z: Individuals born between 1997 and 2012 (Dimock, 2019).
3. Motivation: The process that triggers, guides and maintains efforts toward goal achievement (Cherry, 2020).
4. Leadership Styles: Alleged ways of leading and encouraging teams by approaches taken: (Goleman, 2000).
5. Restaurant Industry: Businesses mostly serving food services to patrons (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021).
6. Qualitative Research: A way to get to know phenomena using non numerical data (Creswell & Poth, 2018).
7. Multiple Case Study: A design exploring multiple cases to examine a phenomenon (Yin, 2018).
8. Semi-Structured Interviews: Flexible interviews using questions of an open-ended nature (Kvale et al., Brinkmann 2015).
Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations
Recognizing assumptions, limitations, and delimitations is critical to transparency and credibility. These elements define the limitations and the perception of the study.
Assumptions
1. Managers will be liable to present true, truthful records of their strategies.
2. The sample is representative of all the managers of restaurants in Fort Pierce, FL.
3. This context and demographic suit SDT and Herberg’s theory.
Limitations
1. Small sample size i.e. (four managers) restricts the applicability.
2. The attention to Fort Pierce, FL may not represent elsewhere practices.
3. Managers are likely to inflate successes according to the self-reported data.
Delimitations
1. The research is restricted to restaurant managers in Fort Pierce, FL, other industries /regions are not considered.
2. Only successful managers are considered here with perspectives from weak leaders excluded.
These delimitations will guide design and interpretation of the study making it focused and detailed.
Summary and organization of the rest of the study
The background, problem, purpose, and research questions of the study were described in this chapter. It described how SDT and Herzberg’s theory will be propelled and how they will be applied in business administration, and how significant the study was. The qualitative methodology and multiple case study design were detailed, along with key stubs, assumptions, limitations, and delimitations.
Chapter 2 will look at the literature, including SDT, Herzberg’s theory and previous work on leadership and motivation. The methodology including sampling, data collection and analysis will be further described in chapter 3. Chapter 4 will present results and Chapter 5 will give conclusions, implication, and recommendation.
Reference
Cherry, K. (2020, November 29). What is motivation? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-motivation-2795378
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). Sage publications.
Dimock, M. (2019, January 17). Defining generations: Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
Kvale, S., & Brinkmann, S. (2015). Interviews: Learning the craft of qualitative research interviewing (3rd ed.). Sage publications.
Pew Research Center. (2019, January 17). Where Millennials end and Generation Z begins. https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2021). Occupational outlook handbook. United States Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
